Collins, Michael (1930–)

American astronaut, born in Rome, Italy, who walked in space during the
Gemini 10 mission and circled the
Moon as the Apollo 11 Command Module
pilot.

In his first spaceflight, Gemini 10, Collins took part in several brief
spacewalks. The most exciting of these followed the Gemini 10 spacecraft's
successful docking with an Agena Target Vehicle, when Collins performed
an EVA to the Agena in order to retrieve a micrometeorite package that had
been left in space for several months. On his first try, Collins lost his
grip and tumbled head over heels at the end of the umbilical around the
Gemini. He successfully retrieved the package on his second try. His second
spaceflight was no less eventful, when he acted as pilot of the Command
Module on Apollo 11 – the flight that witnessed humans first setting
foot on the Moon.

Collins received a B.S. degree from West Point in 1952, then entered the
Air Force as an experimental flight test officer at Edwards Air Force Base
before being selected as an astronaut in 1963. He retired from the Air Force
as a major general and left NASA in 1970. After serving briefly as Assistant
Secretary of State for Public Affairs, he became the first director of the
Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum (1971-78), overseeing
its construction and development.

Collins has written several books, including Carrying the Fire, Liftoff,
and Space Machine, which blend good humor with incisive journalism.
He has recorded, for example, how bad he felt about losing a camera in space
on Gemini 10, and how he responded when asked what went through his mind
at blastoff: "Well, you think about the fact that you are at the top of
6 million parts, all made by the lowest bidder!"